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There are some who say: “The Asl (the general principal [in regards to the condition]) of a Muslim is ‘Adaalah (that he is upon uprightness) and they recommend/approve of people based upon this [principal], or they say “The Asl of people is [that they are upon] the Sunnah.” So what is the ruling concerning the one who says this? The answer to this [question] consists of two parts: The first part: “The Asl of a Muslim is that he is upright.” the answer to [this statement] is from a number of angles. The first angle: This principle opposes what the A’immah of Islaam, who wrote books on Jarh and Ta’deel, came with. And in (the books of) Jarh there were men who’s actions were good, they were from the people of Salaat (5 daily prayers), they attended Jum’ah and they attended Salaat in Jamaa’ah. Amongst them there were those of righteousness, but with all of that they were criticized in their narrations. So if the Asl of a Muslim was uprightness, people would not have needed the books of Jarh and Ta’deel, and every Hadeeth that would have been narrated with its Isnaad all the way to the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه و سلم would have been Saheeh. The second angle: Ahlul Hadeeth reject Ahaadeeth due to a criticism in the chain of narrators. So rejecting a Hadeeth is not because of the Hadeeth in itself, but it goes back to one of two reasons: Either the chain of narration is incomplete or a narrator is criticized, so they reject it and say things like: “In the chain of narrators is a consistent liar.” or “[In it is] a truthful person who has a bad memory.” So this type of Hadeeth is not accepted. Yes, there are Ahaadeeth that are not used because, for example it is abrogated or it is Shadh[1], and there are other reasons. But usually the Hadeeth is rejected due to a criticism upon a narrator, and this is the point. They reject Ahaadeeth because of a criticism in the narrator and that he is not fit to narrate [Hadeeth]. As for rejecting the hadeeth itself then this is because of other reasons. For example, it may be abrogated. They (the ‘Ulamaa of Hadeeth) know it is Saheeh and they establish this, however they don’t use it as it is abrogated. Or, for example, it is in opposition to other Ahaadeeth, and some of the people of knowledge understand one thing [from it] and others understand something else, and other reasons that make them not use a Hadeeth that has a Saheeh Isnaad. So they don’t consider a Hadeeth to be from the authentic Ahaadeeth because it is Shaadh, for example, or in it is a hidden defect. And this is why there are conditions for the authentic Hadeeth: 1) The chain of narrators must be connected; 2) The narrators must have ‘Adaalah (being free from: major sins, persistence upon minor sins and bad manners); 3) Precision in narrating [from memory]; 4) The Hadeeth must not be Shadh (contradicting that which is more authentic than it); 5) Free from hidden defects. The third angle: Up until this day, with regards to news and information- and this is ‘every day’ information not the Sunnah- People seek truthfulness in a person. So they accept the information from the truthful one and reject other than that. Rather they criticize someone in an aspect of worldly dealings that they are not fit for. So they say: This person is not fit to marry the daughter of so and so and not fit to be given a loan and so on. The fourth angle: The principle of Ahlus Sunnah is: “Whoever outwardly manifests Islaam and ‘Adaalaah then he is [to be judged] a Muslim who is upright until this is removed from him by legislated proofs.” And if you wish you can say: Whoever outwardly manifests Islaam and uprightness then the Asl (general principle) is that he stays upon that state of Islaam and uprightness until this is removed by way of legislated proofs. The second part [of the statement]: “The Asl of the people is [that they are upon the Sunnah.” This is like our saying: “The Asl of the people is Tawheed!! And Shirk is something foreign.” So we say yes!! The general principle of the people is [that they are upon] the Sunnah!! And bid’ah is something foreign. So if it is established that one is an innovator, then we make Tabdee’ of him (declare him to be an innovator).
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